The man who mistook his wife for a hat

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Abstract
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is a famous Neurology and Psychology book written by Oliver Sacks. The book is about stories about his neurological disorder in his patients. Oliver wrote the case study of his patients with a language that was a both attractive and interesting. Just as the title, the book is a collection of his personal experienced and different cases studies that he observed when he was dealing with the patents. The title came about when he made an error of his patient. A patient who showed cognitive collapse. The book has four segments which are Losses, Excesses, Transports and The World of the Simple. In every section, there is a different story that Dr. Sacks addresses with different behavioral effects due to different physiological disorder. The purpose of this article is to discuss a neurological disorder, the organs of the body affected and how the disorder affects patients’ behaviors.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Dr. Oliver Sacks
Herpes Simplex Encephalitis is a neurological disorder that leads to inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). The common symptoms of the disease include a mild headache, fever, drowsiness, general weakness of the body. It is critical to note that this disorder has similar symptoms to a patient suffering from meningitis. The same symptoms include stiffness of the neck, alteration of reflexes, abnormalities in speech. Without a proper medical diagnosis, the symptoms may be mistaken for meningitis.

Herpes simplex encephalitis is generated by a virus called herpes simplex virus abbreviated as HSV. Early symptoms of this disorder include seizures and fevers. In most cases, patients usually suffer from a stupor and general body disorientation. After the appearance of the first symptoms, patients develop difficulty in their speech thus limiting their ability to speak (Krpan & O’Connor, 2017). The patient’s ability to smell may also be affected thus resulting in anosmia and increased memory loss. Behavioral changes that may be experienced by the patient include hyperactivity and occurrence of psychotic episodes. In severe cases, the patient may experience hallucination and hemiparesis. Herpes Simplex Encephalitis may interfere with the integrity of nerve-rich membranes in the body hence causing the retina to swell a condition commonly known as retinitis. Herpes Simplex encephalitis mostly affects the brain (Krpan & O’Connor, 2017). This means that it will interlope with the central nervous system. This makes it hard for patients to coordinate their body activities.
Behavioral changes due to Herpes simplex encephalitis include fluctuations in the patient’s mood. This is because the patients having this condition have decreased brain or increased brain activity. Most importantly, the disorder affects their nervous system. Confusion is also a severe change in the behavior of the affected patients. Other changes include being delusional, disorganization f speech, mild hallucinations and delirium. The strategies that have been put in place are standard therapies which involve treatment to improve the efficiency of options in treatment. Therefore, treatment will involve the use of antiviral drugs such as Zovirax and vidarabine. These are drugs which have been recommended because of the healing properties. Seizures are always treated with medications known to suppress the seizures (Krpan & O’Connor, 2017). Other strategies which have been put in place to help in handling the disorder include physical therapy which is meant for improving the patient’s motor skills such as flexibility, balance, and coordination. This will make it uncomplicated for them to feel worthy despite their condition. Occupational therapy is advised because it helps in the development of daily skills. Lastly, psychotherapy is very significant because it will assist in managing mood and behavioral disorders.
In conclusion, Herpes Simplex encephalitis is a medical disorder which must be correctly diagnosed to prevent cases of the wrong diagnosis. As discussed earlier, it is often mistaken for meningitis because of having similar symptoms. Behavioral changes due to the disorder may result in changes in personality which negatively affects the social life of the patient. This means that when treating the disorder, physicians should develop a way in which behavioral changes such as emotional changes should be handled with precaution. Therapies are always advised for affected patients to make them resume their healthy life and speed up recovery. Therapies that patients may opt for include physical therapy which will help in improving the motor skills whereas occupational therapy enhances the development of social skills. All these strategies will be a breakthrough for patients suffering from Herpes Simplex Encephalitis.
References
Krpan, D., & O’Connor, A. (2017). The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. CRC Press.
London.